 |
Coal Oil |
| Contact Information Cristina Sandoval Ecology, Evolution & Marine Biology University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106 Phone: 805-893-5092 Cell phone: 805-451-2403 sandoval@lifesci.ucsb.edu |
|
| Location Santa Barbara County, on UCSB's West Campus, overlooking Santa Barbara Channel. Map Quest |
|
| Facilities Small lab on site; housing, labs, research support available at adjacent UCSB |
|
| Databases Extensive monthly climate records; some records of lagoon temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen; plant and animal lists; historic/ current aerial photos; published management plans for plants, animals, and hydrology; natural-resource geographic information system (GIS); comprehensive catalog of research on UCSB wetlands under development. |
|
| Personnel Reserve director and research scientist on site; faculty manager and NRS office on Santa Barbara campus. |
|
| Size 63 ha (158 acres) |
|
| Elevation 0 to 12 m (0 to 40 ft) |
|
| Average Precipitation 36-53 cm (14-21 in) per year |
|
| Average Temperatures January min: 6°C (42°F) August max: 24°C (75°F) |
|
 Transect Articles specific to Coal Oil |
|
 Mathias Grant Research specific to Coal Oil |
|
| Site Spec Sheet (PDF) |
|
<••• •••> | |||
| Point Natural Reserve | Established in 1970 |  |
|
|
| Coal Oil Website | ||||
 One of the best remaining examples of a coastal-strand environment in Southern California, the Coal Oil Point Natural Reserve protects a wide variety of coastal and estuarine habitats. Largely undisturbed coastal dunes support a rich assemblage of dune vegetation, while older and more stable backdunes are covered with southern coastal scrub habitat. In the heart of the reserve, Devereux Slough is a seasonally flooded tidal lagoon that dries out in the summer to form salt flats and hypersaline ponds and channels. A variety of intertidal habitats occur along the sandy beach and the large rocky reef at the point. Thousands of migratory birds visit throughout the year. Located adjacent to the Santa Barbara campus, the reserve provides a unique and accessible research and teaching resource, which is used by many university courses, including botany, ecology, biodiversity field methods, natural history, marine biology, invertebrate zoology, and environmental studies. |
||||
 |
Habitat restoration Special-status species |
|||
| Selected Research • USGS earthquake monitoring: COPR has one of 200 antennae used by USGS geologists to study earth movement. • Surfgrass restoration in intertidal zone: Ongoing project includes studies of surfgrass epiphytes and reproduction. • Human impacts on threatened snowy plover: USGS study seeks to understand impacts on the snowy plover and provide conservation guidelines. Special Research of National Significance • PISCO (Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans): Large-scale marine science research program that focuses on understanding the nearshore ecosystems of the U.S. West Coast and involves collaborating scientists from four universities. PISCO researchers at COPR monitor rocky intertidal and ocean currents using a CODAR antenna. (detailed description...) |
Photo Gallery  |
|||